MARKETING CANADA TO TOURISTS IN THE WAKE OF SARS
Tourism is an important part of many economies, particularly those economies that have relatively few travel restrictions for international tourists. When severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreaks occurred in Hong Kong and Singapore, travel to Asia dropped dramatically. When the illness was discovered in Toronto, Canadian tourism declined sharply. Despite the relatively low risk of catching SARS, and the fact that the illness was quickly contained, tourism to Canada in general--and to Toronto in particular--has been slow to recover. Even domestic travel to Toronto fell as a result of the SARS outbreak. This research considers the issue from a marketing perspective, including the actions that were taken to help Toronto boost its tourism numbers.
SARS was first reported in Hong Kong and China, and was later reported in Toronto in March 2003. The disease, with its flu-like symptoms, killed 40 people in Canada, a number significantly lower than the number who die from influenza every year. However, the traveling public perceived SARS as a significant threat, and some within Canada blamed American media for showing images of mask-wearing Chinese while discussing SARS in Canada--few masks were seen on the streets of Toronto according to Canadians (Drummond, 2003).
The effect of SARS on Canadian tourism was significant. The number of tourists visiting Canada in May 2003 was the lowest for that month in 13 years, and occupancy at some Toronto hotels in April 2003 was as low as 29 percent. Hotels that typically have occupancy rates of 95 percent through summer posted occupancy rates of only 60 to 65 percent. Hotels, resorts and related businesses laid workers off as tourists failed to materialize, and the tourist industry--already hurt by a stronger Canadian dollar--continued to slide downward (Drummond, 2003).
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